Author: Simulacrum  <nub>    70.238.201.203 Use this link if you want to link to this message and its entire thread of discussion. Post a Msg
Date: 9/6/2010 8:22:50 AM
Subject: RE: Oh Takeshi's Castle

Notice how American television tried to come up with TC clones and failed miserably. Same thing with Food Network's Iron Chef America. The Japanese are geniuses at television involving silly competition; there is no bottom to their imagination. Americans are short on imagination.

American Iron Chef (last I saw it two or three years ago):

-- lots of dramatic music and stage lighting but no creativity in production

-- chairman is Jet Lee wannabe

-- in-house chefs have no humility

-- Alton Brown talks too much; doesn't share commentary with panel

-- floor reporter guy is an idiot; misunderstands his job

-- no mock drama

-- unappealing judges



Japanese Iron Chef:

-- great production creativity -- whole thing is parody of Japanese monster movies with lots of dry ice, tympani, etc. -- very operatic

-- chairman is bizarre combination of Liberace and reclusive but charismatic nobleman -- just the right amount of flair and comic oration, "seriousness"

-- in-house chefs enter program with hilarious Japanese monster uber-drama, but are humble, dutiful retainers who will "do their best" to bring honor to Chairman Kaga and his program

-- Kaga is the chairman and interacts with contestants; otherwise, commentary is carried on by a panel with interesting things to say -- seamless, snappy, professional observations, clarifications about what's going on

-- floor reporter guy is, at the same time, subtly hapless and always in the right place -- always has useful and entertaining information

-- every show has a mock drama occasion for existing: this week, the Ota Faction has a special bone to pick; next week, another faction presents its latest super challengers; even the "real" independent challengers always have interesting backgrounds

-- the judges aren't fat food critics with no table manners; they're interesting and appealing



The American Iron Chef fails because American television is a cash-in business that has lost the ability to entertain. It can't entertain because it doesn't understand imagination, cleverness, wit, humility, and a hundred other things. American television can't do Takeshi's Castle for the same reasons they can't do Iron Chef -- they don't care about the audience. They don't respect them and therefore make no meaningful effort to "do their best."